Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,961 in Middlesbrough versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,844 in Middlesbrough versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,727 in Middlesbrough versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Middlesbrough is roughly 56% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesbrough is 47% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.43

$11.99 MX$209

72.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 £56.2

$41.78 MX$728

80.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 £7.50

$10.75 MX$187

-6.23%

Cappuccino

$4.47 £3.32

$3.50 MX$60.9

27.71%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.45 MX$25.22

34.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$0.88 MX$15.41

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 £3.98

$2.95 MX$51.3

81.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 £4.13

$4.51 MX$78.6

23.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.43 MX$24.94

11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.84 MX$31.99

-5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 £1.95

$1.57 MX$27.31

66.88%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.96

$2.51 MX$43.74

58.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.92 £5.15

$8.28 MX$144

-16.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.51 £5.59

$8.43 MX$147

-10.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 £7.23

$10.68 MX$186

-9.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 £1.93

$2.61 MX$45.43

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 £1.71

$1.44 MX$25.04

59.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 £1.65

$1.96 MX$34.16

12.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 £2.01

$2.09 MX$36.47

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.85 MX$32.24

-2.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 £0.97

$2.17 MX$37.74

-39.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.03 MX$17.96

33.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.07 MX$18.70

74.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.99 £13.40

$4.10 MX$71.4

338.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 £10.01

$10.17 MX$177

32.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.73 £2.78

$1.68 MX$29.17

122.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 £3.96

$2.53 MX$43.98

109.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 £2.98

$0.51 MX$8.87

684.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.0 £70.7

$26.04 MX$453

264.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 £4.51

$3.23 MX$56.3

87.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 £0.89

$2.41 MX$41.88

-50.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.25 £12.10

$3.23 MX$56.2

403.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.32 MX$23.00

47.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.3K £22.6K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

2.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.3K £28.5K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

61.67%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$288 £214

$82.0 MX$1,428

250.85%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.19 £12.80

$22.95 MX$400

-25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.61 £31.72

$30.11 MX$524

41.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 £40.79

$52.0 MX$905

5.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 £15.94

$18.53 MX$323

15.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 £9.74

$4.98 MX$86.6

162.65%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$942 £701

$197 MX$3,438

377.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K £15.2K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

282.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 £59.2

$35.60 MX$620

123.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 £31.86

$40.33 MX$702

6.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 £64.8

$78.8 MX$1,371

10.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 £53.3

$88.9 MX$1,549

-19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$904 £673

$947 MX$16.5K

-4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 £530

$474 MX$8,254

50.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 £761

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-37.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 £725

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-19.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,667 £1,986

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-34.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 £1,658

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-65.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,225 £1,656

$654 MX$11.4K

240.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

11.42

-50.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Middlesbrough: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $904 in Middlesbrough and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middlesbrough pays 240% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Middlesbrough vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Middlesbrough vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middlesbrough and Playa del Carmen differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,961 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 240% higher in Middlesbrough, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $904 in Middlesbrough versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Middlesbrough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $75.0 in Middlesbrough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,961 in Middlesbrough, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Middlesbrough. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Middlesbrough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.